KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher, buoyed by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent, alongside positive cues from Wall Street. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 19.30 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 1,635.86 from Wednesday’s close of 1,616.56. The benchmark index opened 6.72 points higher at 1,623.28, and fluctuated between an intraday high of 1,642.44 and a low of 1,622.62 during the trading session. However, market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 723 to 497, while 466 counters were unchanged, 1,075 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.74 billion units valued at RM3.61 billion compared with yesterday’s 2.81 billion units valued at RM2.57 billion.
Tensions between the U.S. and Japan are heating up—and this time, it’s about more than just trade. It’s about defending one of Japan’s economic pillars: autos. Here’s what you need to know: “Unacceptable.” Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, isn’t mincing words. Ahead of his seventh round of talks in Washington, he made it clear: “We consider the 25% automobile tariff to be unacceptable.” Why the strong pushback? Because Japanese carmakers aren’t just exporters—they’re local job engines. Japan produces 3.3 million cars annually in the U.S., more than double the 1.37 million they export there. Over $60 billion in investment. 2.3 million American jobs created. The message to Washington? Japan’s not the bad guy. A Deal Still Out of Reach After six rounds of negotiation and a failed meeting between PM Ishiba and President Trump at the G7, the two sides remain stuck. The U.S. wants to slash its trade deficit—¥8.6 trillion last year, with cars making up 82% of that gap...